Spring-clip.



PATENTED NOV. 7, 1905.

J. B. HALE.

SPRING CLIP. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSHUA B. HALE, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO RING PAPER CLIP COMPANY, A COR- PORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

SPRlNG-CLlP- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1905.

Application filed November 25, 1904. Serial No. 234,217.

To all whom it natty concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSHUA B. HALE, a resident of the city of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Clips; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a novel, simple, and effective spring-clip made of a single piece of suitable spring-wire and one that may be very readily applied to a plurality of sheets of paper or similar articles in securing them together.

The most essential feature of this device is its particular construction whereby a greatly increased gripping power or force is obtained over clips of other constructions using the same size wire combined with convenience in applying the clip to the package of papers or the like.

This clip is constructed in a substantially circular form, having practically two coils and an angular projection from each coil to jointly provide between them a mouth or space opening outwardly from one side of the frame. Instead of having the two coils superimposed or laid side by side in a helical form the two ends of the wire are carried across each other approximately midway between the ends of the said projections and then bent back and laid within and adjacent to the outer circle and in a plane with the same and also in a plane with the b:idge or saddle.

It is an obvious fact that by carrying the ends of the coil across their adjacent projections and bending them back into the circle in line with the outside coil a greatly increased set the coils one within the other this bridge is at the same time bent back at right angles to the axis of the clip, giving more set or twist to the Wire and, again, greatly increasing the gripping force of the clip.

Although the coils are set one within the other, it does not require the pressure of the fingers to separate or open them, as the two projections cross each other and form between them a natural mouth, whereby it is only nec essary to press the clip onto the articles to cause the coils to separate and allow the papers to enter between said coils.

A further object of the invention is to knurl or roughen the engaging surfaces of the wire to assist in preventing the articles from slipping from the grasp of the clip.

This clip has a very neat and attractive appearance, particularly when in position on the papers, and on account of its construction it looks the same on both the front and back of the package. It is so formed as to remove all danger of defacing, tearing, or abrading the papers or articles to which it may be applied or of injuring the fingers in handling. The liability of becoming snarled or tangled together in groups when assembled in commercial packages is entirely obviated.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described in this specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention with several modifications of the same which might be made without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the preferred form of my invention. Fig. 2 shows a substantially circular clip having two projections, one side of each projection being tangent to the outside or circular portion of the clip. Fig. 3 shows a sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 9, illustrating the ends of the coil as set back within the circle and in line with the outside coil. Fig. 4 illustrates a section on line 4 A of Fig. 2, showing the points orresents a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the Fig. 6 shows my nnproved offset projections.

clip engaging a package of papers. Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 7 7 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the position of one coil within the other. Fig. 8 represents an edge view of the clip, showing the points or ends of the projections as bent around each other and carried back in line or in the same plane with the body or frame of the clip. Fig. 9 shows a modification in which the saddle or back of the clip is carried completely around, forming an arc of a circle. Fig. 10 shows the same construction as that represented in Fig. 2, with the exception that a space is left between the ends and the outside walls of the circle.

This clip is preferably formed of wire of any desired size having sufiicient temper to provide a spring element. It is preferably constructed in a substantially circular form, being first helically wound with practically two coils, and then the wire is out, leaving a double frame or body portion, but single at its top or bridge at 1.

Each coil has an angular projection 2 and 3, which projections jointly provide between them a mouth or space 8, opening outwardly from one side of the frame. Instead of having two coils superimposed or laid side by side in helical form the two ends of the wire 6 and 7 are carried across each other at 9 approximately midway between the ends 2 and 3 of said projections. These ends 6 and 7 are laid within and preferably adjacent to the outer circle or sides of the frame 4: and 5 and in a plane with the sides of said frame and also in a plane with the bridge or saddle. It is found in practice that the ends thus disposed one within the other greatly increase the gripping power of the clip and make possible the use of much smaller wire proportionally to produce the same gripping effect of other clips, thereby considerably reducing the weight and cost of the stock. The cost of the wire being the greatest item in the manufacture of this clip, the reduction in the cost of the same materially reduces the cost of production.

A ready entrance between the two coils of wire is produced by crossing the wire near its points, thereby obviating the necessity of using the fingers to depress one of the coils in order to admit the article between them.

The saddle-piece of the clip may be formed, if desired, on an arc of a circle, as shown in Fig. 9, thus providing a long spring element which may be more particularly used for retaining thick packages; but for ordinary use I preferably construct the clip with the rounded back bent downward, forming a straight saddle as a chord of the circle, (shown at 1 in Fig. 2,) thereby making the clip much stifier and less resilient, as when the saddle is straight the wire springs or twists only between the bends at the ends, the shorter the saddle the stiffer and more binding the grip.

In Figs. 1 and 2 is shown a feature of adapting the clip for still greater efficiency by l knurling or scoring the portions 10 and 11 of the wire that engage the articles. While a clip may be made of sufficient torsional strength to hold the mass of papers together quite firmly, I have found in practice that if the engaging portions of the wire are left smooth the outside sheets are sometimes liable to slip out more easily than the interior ones. When the wire is knurled, as shown, the outside sheets are held more firmly, and it is impossible to displace them in ordinary handling.

I do not in this application claim, broadly, a paper-clip formed of a single piece of wire coiled upon itself to form a plurality of clamping members, each of said members having a projection, each projection and the end of the wire nearest to said projection as measured along the wire lying on opposite sides, respectively, of a diametrical plane bisecting the distance between the free ends of the wire, as this broad invention is covered by my copending application, Serial No. 228,751, filed October 17, 1904.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A. paper-clip formed of a single piece of wire bent to form a plurality of clamping members, each of said members having a projection, each projection and the end of the wire nearest to said projection as measured along the wire, lying on opposite sides, respectively, of a diametrical plane bisecting the distance between the free ends of the wire, said free ends terminating inside of the frames,

2. A paper-clip formed of a single piece of wire coiled in a substantially circular shape and forming a plurality of clamping members, each of said members having a projection, each projection and the end of the wire nearest to said projection as measured along the wire, lying on opposite sides respectively, of a diametrical plane bisecting the distance between the free ends of the wire, said free ends terminating inside of the coil.

3. A paper-clip formed of a single piece of wire bent to form a frame with a plurality of clamping members, each of said members having a projection, each projection and the end of the wire nearest to said projection as measured along the wire, lying on opposite sides, respectively, of a diametrical plane bisecting the distance between the free ends of the Wire, said free ends terminating inside of the frame, said clamping members being connected by a chordal bridge forming a stiffening saddle-piece.

4. A paper-clip formed of a single piece of wire coiled in a substantially circular shape and forming a plurality of clamping members, each of said members having a projection, each projection and the end of the wire nearest to said projection as measured along the wire, lying on opposite sides, respectively, of a diametrical plane bisecting the distance between the free ends of the wire, said free ends terminating inside of the coil, said clamping members being connected by a chordal bridge forming a stiffening saddle-piece.

5. A paper-clip formed of a single piece of wire bent to form a plurality of clamping members, each of said members having a projection, each projection and the end of the wire nearest to said projection as measured along the wire, lying on opposite sides, respectively, .of a diametrical plane bisecting the distance between the free ends of the wire, said free ends terminating inside of the frame, said clamping members being each provided with an irregular or roughened engaging surface.

6. Apaper-clip formed of a single piece of Wire bent to form a plurality of clamping members, each of said members having a projection, each projection and the end of the wire nearest to said projection as measured along the wire, lying on opposite sides, respectively, of a diametrical plane bisecting the distance between the free ends of the wire, said free ends terminating inside of the frame, said clam ping members being connected by a chordal bridge forming a stiffening saddlepiece, said clamping members being also each provided with an irregular or roughened engaging surface.

JOSHUA B. HALE.

In presence oi'- FRANK A. FOSTER, E. I. OGDEN. 

